Winning both races of the the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix last year helped propel Graham Rahal to a sixth-place finish in the IndyCar standings last season. He had one top-10 finish before the Detroit sweep in 2017.

Rahal returned to Belle Isle on Friday riding the best start of his career. He's finished in the top 10 of each race this season and has completed every lap.

“Last year we just put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Rahal said of sweeping the races on Belle Isle in 2017. “This year, I just hope we can do the same. I know that we should be pretty quick. I know that our consistency in the race should be pretty good. I just want to see it all come together start to finish because we've been the most consistent finisher throughout this entire year. I just want to be able to keep that going and to really put ourselves in a much stronger position in the championship when we leave here on Sunday night than even where we are today.”

Rahal is encouraged by the good start to 2018.

“We’re with the top guys,” Rahal said. “We’re in the mix now. So, this could just be a big place to close up to Will (Power) and the guys that are leading this thing and race them from here on out. Historically our weakness is Indy — the team the last few years. But this year we had a great result. Last year, we had a little bad luck, but we didn’t have a good start to (last) year. This year, we had a great start. Hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

That Rahal has finished in the top 10 in each race this season is a testament to his ability.

“It means a lot because I’ve tried very hard to get my race craft better,” he said. “I’ve tried really hard to make sure I don’t mistakes and cost my team and this year, knock on wood, we’ve all done a really good job. Now we certainly need to turn up the heat. We’re at the point where a couple races here, Texas, places we’ve won before, we know we can win.”

Rahal knows it's impossible to outdo the weekend he had in Detroit in 2017.

“You certainly can’t get better, but you can certainly match it,” he said. “That’s gotta be our goal. Every single practice, qualifying, race, we were first or second. That’s doesn’t happen very often.”

As much as he enjoys the Indianapolis 500 and all that comes with it, Rahal said he’s glad to be in the month of June now.

“I love May, I love what the 500 is, what it stands for, but it wears me out,” Rahal said. “And this year I had no time to do anything in life, and I just — it's hard to live that way and not get frustrated or run down or whatever. This weekend is kind of a new — a breath of fresh air for me. So, I'm excited to be here.”

Rahal was third (1:17.9830) in the first practice session on Friday at the Raceway at Belle Isle in the No.15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. He was sixth in the second session (1:16:7098).

Kanaan's start streak

Only Mario Andretti (407 starts) and A.J. Foyt (369) have more starts in IndyCar history.

Kanaan is in his first season driving the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing.

"I was always a fan of A.J.," Kanaan said Friday after the second practice session on the Raceway at Belle Isle. "Not just for his accomplishments. I've always really liked the way he conducted himself. I really see myself, in many occasions, like him. I think good or bad, at least I know somebody is like me or was like me and was successful."

Kanaan said it's a "huge honor" to drive for Foyt and to pick his brain at the track.

Kanaan finished 10th (1:18.4611) in the first practice session Friday and 15th in the second session (1:17.3910).

“It was a good first session and then we got a little bit messed up in the second," Kanaan said. "We hadn’t changed much from the morning. I think we were closer in the first session than the second; I think the other guys made a big jump so we’ve a got a little bit of work to do overnight."

Kanaan said the track on Belle Isle was bumpy once again and that's fine with him.

"This is what makes Detroit what it is and having two races here, it's extremely tough," Kanaan said. "The strongest will survive."

As for the 350th start, Kanaan said "it's just a number."

He said loves to race, not to collect milestones.

Kanaan would have more than 290 consecutive starts if he hadn't been injured driving on Belle Isle in 2000. He won at Belle Isle in 2007 while driving for Andretti Green Racing.

Buy Photo

IndyCar driver for Team Penske and the winner of the Indy 500 last weekend, Will Power, heads around turn two during practice Friday on Belle Isle.(Photo: Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press)

Practice overview

Honda drivers had the six fastest times in the first practice session, led by Sebastien Bourdais (1:17.8545), Scott Dixon (1:17.9168) and Rahal. Honda drivers had the three fastest times in the second practice session: Ryan Hunter-Reay (1:16.3598), Dixon (1:16.3667) and James Hinchcliffe (1:16.4840).

Josef Newgarden, driving for Team Penske, had the fastest time for a Chevy in the second session (1:16.5864).

“Solid first day here in Detroit," Newgarden said. "We’ve got some great pace and I feel confident we’ll be able to challenge for the Verizon P1 award tomorrow in qualifying. It’s a jam-packed weekend with not a lot of time for adjustments so I’m very pleased the crew at Team Penske put together a car for me that was this comfortable out of the gate.”